At the Hamptons
by Aerilon452
Summary: Beckett goes to see Castle at his beach house in the Hamptons.


Summary: Beckett goes after Castle.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the TV show CASTLE or the characters contained in the fic

Rating: T

Pairing: Kate and Castle

**AT THE HAMPTONS:**

Detective Kate Beckett sat at her desk and stared off into space. It was three weeks into summer and murders were slim to none, which she couldn't understand. Summer usually meant more murders because people were hot, angry, and generally in a bad mood. But today she had been in the bull pen in Homicide for three hours and still no calls for a murder. All of the murders she had managed to catch were simple crimes of passion. Where were all her killers that at least tried to hide their murders? Periodically she caught herself before he gaze could track over to Castle's chair. Kate wanted the summer to be over; she wanted Castle back, being annoying and helpful, but more than anything she just wanted him back. The ringing of her desk phone made Beckett jump out of her skin. She had been so lost in thought over Castle.

"Beckett."

"Now I know you are not still at your desk on a nice day like this?"

Kate had to smile at her friend Lanie Parish. "It's called work Lanie. I'm sure you're in the morgue right now cutting someone open." Kate replied and smiled again.

"No, I am actually out front, so get your butt out here." With that Lanie disconnected.

Kate replaced the receiver and laughed as she got up leaving her thoughts of Castle behind. A little time with her best friend would do her a world of good, then in a few hours she would be right back to where she was; thinking about Castle.

**THE HAMPTONS:**

Richard Castle had his eyes glued to the blank page on his computer screen. No words were flowing from his mind to his fingers and onto the page. It's wasn't uncommon for a writer to have writers block. It wasn't so much writers block as it was the constant image of Kate in his mind. She was there when he woke in the morning, when he was lost in thought, and she was in his mind when he went to sleep. Castle had even tried seducing his ex-wife, but half way through the innuendo Rick lost interest and went back to trying to write his book. He had wanted to offer one more time for Kate to join him here, but he hadn't and now he was kicking himself. Being stuck with Gina seemed like a good idea, only now it was becoming a never ending rant session on her part about his novel. For the most part he could tune her out or just walk out of whatever room she was yelling at him in. Castle needed an escape; his escape was Beckett and she wasn't here. Pushing away from the desk Rick left his computer and walked out to the porch, down the steps, and headed to the beach. Maybe the sound of the waves would wash away the image of Kate.

**NEW YORK:**

Kate and Lanie sat at and out door café watching all the people and tourists walk by. For twenty minutes she had been able to forget about Castle but then something Lanie had said brought him back and she started to miss him all over again. It was frustrating and confusing. She had told Demming that he wasn't what she was looking for and he had asked what it was exactly. At the time she didn't want to answer even though she knew; Castle. He was always there when she didn't want him to be. Castle had even rushed into a burning building to make sure that she was still alive after the bomber had tried to kill her. To end her pain Kate should just go up to the Hamptons and talk to Castle. What if when she got there he was in a compromising position with his ex? Kate didn't think she could handle that. Of course it was her own fault, she had meant to tell him about leaving Demming, and he was trying to move on. Did she really want to know what he was up to?

"Kate?" Lanie snapped her fingers in front of Kate's face and shook her head and refocused her attention.

"Sorry, I was just…"

"Thinking about writer boy." Lanie finished because she knew Kate and knew that Richard Castle was taking up most of her thought process right now. She had been there the day Castle left and she had seen Kate's reaction to the fake blond walking away with Castle. Kate wanted to fool herself into thinking that no one had seen the flash of her cross her face and for the most part the occupants of the room had let his hang in the back drop, but not Lanie. Kate was her best friend and she was hurting. "Why don't you just go to the Hamptons?" Lanie blurted out. Someone had to push her into going out there.

"What? No way am I going there to see him." Kate defended. She wasn't the slightest bit interested in finding Castle in the moment with his ex-wife, her heart couldn't take it.

"I know you want to. Don't forget I saw the look on your face when he walked away three weeks ago." Lanie didn't want to get mean, but she was hurting to see Kate so sad when she thought no one was looking.

"Ouch, Lanie." Kate lowered her head and sighed. "Do you really think I should go?"

"Yes, I do." The M.E replied and not for the first time felt sorry for her friend and how things had turned out.

"I don't think I want to know, but then again I do and yet…"

"You're afraid to find out?"

"Yes," Kate replied and heaved a heavy sigh again. As much as she wanted to go to see Castle a small part of her hissed, 'He should come to me, not have me go to him.' It was her pride if nothing else. Maybe she should just get over it, bite the bullet, and put her fears to rest. Kate knew what she had to do she just didn't want to lest she find out her fears were real and he was up in the Hamptons doing his ex. Not wanting to second guess herself Kate left Lanie sitting at the café and headed to the Hamptons. If Castle was doing what she thought he was doing then she would know and she could move on. 'But what if he is all alone?' another small voice asked.

**THE HAMPTONS:**

Rick didn't know how long he had been sitting on the beach and at this point he really didn't care. The sun had set so long ago and now the moon took up its reign in the celestial heavens. The water had soothed his mind as he walked but it had done nothing to wash away Kate. He had tried to make it a clean break, but that had only left his heart in tatters even as he tried to hide it. Rick was too used to being around her, being surrounded by death. Why did he have to fall for her, out of all the women who were throwing themselves at him, he was stuck on Kate Beckett. That was simple; she was smart, beautiful, and so different than the women he dated. She was the only one that he wanted and she wanted someone else. Castle took in a deep breath, let the ocean air fill his lungs, and then released it in a long heavy sigh. His invitation hadn't been made out of his need to play, but out of genuine sincerity to share something with her.

Rick leaned foreword and rested his chin on his closed fists. If he wasn't so caught up in Kate he would have thought of a scene for Rook and Heat in his latest book; something to do with moonlight and the sound of water. Of course when he wrote for Rook and Heat he was always thinking about Kate and himself. It was driving him mad and it was his own fault. He wanted someone who was out of his reach; Kate was just one step away and yet always a mile from him and how he wanted them to be. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. They were two totally different people and Rick knew that but that didn't stop him from wanting her. Kate had once described him as a nine year old on a sugar rush; he had been listening at the door that time.

Kate had arrived in the Hamptons in the dead of night and yet the clear sky and the full moon highlighted every thing in a silvery light. Stepping out of her car she saw no lights on inside. She looked at her watch and saw that it was ten at night. Castle was a night owl; that much she knew. Maybe he went home? Just as Beckett made a move back to her car through the silence and the waves she heard someone sigh. Looking around she half expected the source of the sound to be right behind her but she looked out and saw a shadowy figure sitting on the beach. Kate walked softly but moved quickly until she could make out the form of Castle sitting on the dune. She took a moment to watch him. His face was tilted up so the moon light accentuated his features. To her he looked lost in thought and Beckett could guess his thoughts.

Castle had heard the foot steps coming closer and closer; he had been sitting outside too long not to get accustomed to the sounds. The wind carried the clean, crisp scent of Kate Beckett. She had come here after all. Where joy should have filled his heart, he felt sorrow, and he didn't know why. She was here wasn't she? So, what was the problem? He didn't want to turn to her, didn't want to face her. She would have to come to him.

"Castle?" Kate called to him and covered the few remaining feet between them.

"Good evening Detective," Castle replied and he would look at her. He fixed his gaze on the horizon.

"I… uh…." Kate looked away. Where were her nerves? Why wasn't she saying what she wanted to saying what was on her mind? Simple; he wasn't looking at her. Beckett moved to stand in front of him and still it was as if he was looking through her. "Would you look at me please?"

Rick closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up at her. Immediately he catalogued all the conflicting emotions he saw in her eyes; anger, hurt, nervousness, and fear. He stood up. He didn't want to be looked down at. If he was more of a jerk he would have walked back into the house and shut the door on her. Make the break complete and leave her to her life, but he wasn't a jerk; he was Richard Castle and was still falling for Kate Beckett. So he stayed on the beach, stayed facing her.

Kate didn't know what was worse; his inane chatter or his silence. "I came here because…" She looked around to buy her more time before confessing.

"We're completely alone Detective."

There he went calling her detective again, not Beckett or heaven forbid Castle should call her Kate. "I…" The words were like lumps in her throat. She couldn't spit them out and she couldn't swallow them. "The reason I came here was to… Would you stop doing that?" Kate snapped.

"What did I do?" Rick backed up a step. "You asked that I look at you and I'm looking at you."

"You're looking through me not at me." Kate replied, just the edge of sadness lacing her words.

"How am I supposed to look at you? Should I look at you like my tidy little research for my stupid novels? Or should I look at you like you're the woman I want and know I can't have?" Castle answered.

"I broke up with Demming." There she said it; she got it out in the open. Castle may not be the perfect man; he was annoying, but he was what she was looking for.

Castle backed away a few more steps. Of all the things he thought she would say that wasn't one of them. Her words punched him in the gut and stole his breath. Risk had spent three weeks in misery thinking that Beckett was with another man and here she left Demming. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"I tried but your bleached blond ex-wife walked up and I couldn't." Kate confessed and sighed. She was doing that a lot lately and all of it was because of Castle. He had moved way from her to give her space, but she didn't want it. She wanted him as close to her as he could get with their clothes still on. Kate rested her hand on his bicep then slow moved her hand up over his shoulder, up his neck, and up to his cheek where she ran her thumb over the stubble that had grown.

Rick closed his eyes and leaned his head into more of her touch. "And I should have let you." He whispered taking the final step into her personal space. Rick opened his eyes and saw the moonlight dancing in her eyes. Of all the words he could use to describe it he only came up with one; magical. Leaning in more Castle tested Beckett to if she would let him kiss her.

She put her hand on his chest to stop him, "Castle…"

"Right now there is no Castle and Beckett; there is only Kate and Rick." Castle lifted his hand to covers her; the hand that covered his heart. He leaned into her once again and this time their lips touched.


End file.
